5 Ways to Identify Your Personal Core Values

Children are taught the importance of values and ethics in life and how these can go a long way into shaping them as a person and impacting their life to a great extent. As we grow up, we get busy in taking in the experiences that life has planned our way and somewhere, the idea of really knowing who we actually are or what our personal core values are seems a far-fetched one.

We try and follow what has been taught to us by your teachers, parents, and family members. But is it something that we identify with, as an individual? Are those what we can proudly call the values we associate ourselves with? Because as we grow up and experience certain highs and lows in life, we are shaped as an individual. And that is when we need to identify what our personal core values are.

Core values help us experience greater fulfillment in life when we live accordingly. And for those individuals who do not honor their values, they go through mental and physical upheavals.

Here are 5 simple ways to identify your personal core values:

1. Start Afresh

As mentioned above, for most people, the values taught to them by their teachers and parents are what their individuals become. But to be able to identify your personal core values that define you as an individual, it is important you begin from scratch. You need to take that journey towards self-discovery to be able to identify your personal values.

Spend time with yourself, take note of your inner thoughts which you may not otherwise think of consciously. Empty your mind and make space for self-discovery and new thoughts and revelations to the surface.

2. List Down Your Values

Many times, people go online or seek help from others in determining their values or stick to what they were taught by their family. But that is not what your personal values are. To be able to identify your core personal values, it is important to understand that values can’t be selected. They need to be discovered and revealed. Put together your experiences, feelings, and thoughts around them and how you would like to conduct yourself, no matter what the situation.

3. Determine Your ‘Top’ Values

Once you have listed down a range of values which you think you associate yourself with, start identifying which are those top 5 or 7 values that you connect to, that reflect your personality and character or those values which you think is how you want to conduct yourself according to. These will then go on to become your select top personal core values.

4. Highlight the WHY

When trying to identify anything, it is important to answer WHY. Why is it that you consider ‘consciousness' or ‘certainty’ or ‘integrity’ as your value versus other values? Your personal core values define who you are and in many ways and reflect your character and personality. And hence, you should be able to answer why do you associate yourself with certain values versus others.

5. Revisit Them Later

Once you have identified your top core values, take a break from the exercise. Take a good night’s sleep and revisit them the next day. Do you still identify with them? Do they seem in sync with who you are or would like to be? Do they feel personal to you? Do they help you live a life of fulfillment? Doing this exercise is important as you will be able to determine how consistent your selected top values are with you and how you want to conduct yourself. And make necessary changes, if any.

Remember, personal values cannot be identified at the drop of a hat. They need you to first truly connect with yourself, beyond your conscious mind and discover your true inner thoughts. Only then will you be able to truly identify your personal core values. Good luck!